1. Field of Invention
Aspects described herein relate generally to cable connectors, including those for fiber optic transceivers, and more specifically to environmentally sealed connections for cables.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Modern life is full of devices that process information in digital form. Computers share digital information over the Internet or other computer networks. Information, such as radio and television signals, that in the past was communicated as analog signals is now frequently digitized and communicated over networks. For example, many homes have a high speed digital connection to a cable company or other service provider.
The increased use of digital information has created a need for reliable interconnection systems that can connect devices and networks that generate or consume digital information. One form of interconnection system employs optical fiber for transmission of digital information. Large amounts of information can be encoded as a light signal, which can then be transmitted over a relatively long distance. Often, optical fibers are used to provide links between electronic devices that are separated by a relatively large distance.
Such systems frequently employ optoelectronic transceivers, which can convert electrical signals to light signals, and vice versa. To support interconnection of electronic devices, which may be made at different times by different parties, standards have developed for both optoelectronic transceivers and connectors that can mate to them. One such standard defines a small form factor pluggable (SFP) optoelectronic transceiver.
Such an optoelectronic transceiver is designed to receive, at one end, an optical connection to an optical fiber, and at another end, make electrical connections to an electrical connector on a printed circuit board. Such a pluggable transceiver may be arranged in a housing or cage that is attached to a printed circuit board and surrounds the electrical connector to block stray electrical signals and also to support the transceiver. By latching the transceiver in the cage, the transceiver may also be secured to ensure that it makes a good connection to the electrical connector.
Because fiber optics may be used with electronic devices that are widely separated, in some instances, connections to the optical fibers are made in outdoor environments where dust, moisture/humidity or other contaminants can degrade overall performance and/or damage the connector assembly. In such environments, standard optical connectors may require further design considerations so as to prevent significant performance degradation. For example, standard LC optical connectors may not provide sufficient inherent protection from the weather or other environmental factors. A similar limitation exists for electrical connectors, such as RJ-45 connectors.
Currently available connector assemblies that are designed for extremely harsh environments, particularly military and aerospace applications, may not be economical for applications that entail a large number of connections, such as fiber optic distribution network networks. However, fiber optic distribution networks are becoming more common, for example as information in digital form is delivered directly to homes using optical fibers. For such applications, it is known to integrate a fiber optic cable connector in an assembly that attaches to an adapter. The connector assembly and adapter are shaped to create an enclosure within which the fiber optic connector mates to the transceiver.